glass stars and saltwater veins
by charbrose
Summary: they're going to have their moments, and when things don't turn out as planned, they have each other/ or seth and bayley pre, during and post clash of champions [established seth/bayley]


_a/n: /i hadn't planned on writing anything except finishing my baylins high school au, but i was dm'ing rachel (msconcon) on twitter, and this just kind of happened, so i rolled with it. this is rated m for a reason. and don't favorite without reviewing._

* * *

 **~*~glass stars and saltwater veins~*~**

 **pairing: seth rollins/bayley**

 **summary: they're going to have their moments, and when things don't turn out as planned, they have each other/ or seth and bayley pre, during and post clash of champions**

 **rating: m**

* * *

[pre clash]

The pop he gets strutting out to the ramp in Moline, makes her heart swell. She doesn't know how it's swelling when it aslo feels like it will beat out of her chest, grow legs and grab his hand. Though – she giggles, shaking her head – her heart growing legs and grabbing for his hand is impossible when he already has her heart. He's had it from the moment his bottomless chocolate eyes locked with hers.

He's facing Jericho in the main event at this house show and her lips spread wider, he's no longer the enemy, he's the conquering hero returning home. Her stomach flutters. Like he held her heart, he held the crowd in the palm of his hand.

It was amazing watching him. He was so quick and agile, moving around the squard circle like a graceful and powerful panther, sleek and deadly.

Her cheeks flushed and heat bloomed as he slowly stripped off his Redsign Rebuild Reclaim T-shirt. She felt like she was watching a scene from Magic Mike. The mundane action, happening much slower in her head than in reality. Each inch of his ripped stomach revealed in time with every shaky beat of her heart. Her head swam when the expanse of his chest came into view, the defined lines of his pecs standing out perfectly.

Swallowing thickly, the flush of her cheeks only grew deeper from the thoughts swimming through her head. She slipped back into the soft cotton of the hotel's sheets. His hands – rough and big – skimming every inch of her skin. Fingers tweaking her nipples, as hard as diamonds, and straining for his hands and his mouth. Her thighs shaking when he parted them. Her juices sliding down, so ready and willing, his voice in her ear; raspy and drowning in want, _"all this for me?"_

 _"Oh..."_ She couldn't stop the moan from escaping.

Her knees had locked themselves together, and if they hadn't she's sure she would've fallen to the floor, too absorbed in the memories of this morning.

Shaking her head, she brings herself back into focus and just as Seth hits Jericho with a running knee, there's a harsh bump against her shoulder. Whirling around, she finds Dana's berry lips dropping open, feigning shock as she gasps. "Oh my Gosh, Bayley, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!"

Bayley fights the urge to roll her eyes. Like she believes that for a minute. Her eyes dart back and forth, scanning the backstage area for Charlotte's familiar platinum locks. She wouldn't be surprised if Dana was just a distraction and Charlotte was planning an ambush. If she took her out, the match would be a one-on-one match between her and Sasha, which meant she would have the Champion's Advantage back. But she wasn't going to let that happen. She deserved to be in this match for the RAW Women's Championship as much as Sasha, no matter what she or Charlotte thought.

"What are you looking for?" Dana snickers. "Your imaginary friend?" A harsh bark of laughter, which Bayley hates to admit, does sting.

She isn't the same girl she was down at NXT. She hasn't been the same since Takeover Dallas when she lost her NXT Women's Championship to Auska. She hadn't been ready for such a brutal match, but she _was_ ready at Takeover Brooklyn II and just because she lost, doesn't mean she didn't give everything she had. This triple threat was going to be different from everything down at NXT. Charlotte and Sasha were the ones who weren't ready.

Shaking her head at Dana, she says, "Don't think you can bully me..."

Then there's a smooth, slow chuckle as Charlotte herself emerges, heels clicking on the arena's tile floor. Her pink painted lips are smirking and her eyes are glimmering, like a lion spying a gazelle.

"Oh, _sweet, sweet_ Bayley," Mocking and snide. "Do yourself a favor and just bow out of the triple threat now. We both know the truth, that you're not ready for this moment, that you don't have what it takes to step up. You'll just be getting the hopes up of all those poor little girls who think you're some kind of hero, and do you _really_ want to let them down? Of course you don't. There's no shame in realizing you're not good enough. In fact, the sooner you realize you're not, the better I say. That way you let go of your childish dreams and face reality. There's a reason you were left behind and Sasha, Becky and I changed the game. You never could hang. Now, be a good little girl and run along. I'm sure your action figures could use a shine."

Dana laughs like it's the funniest thing she's ever heard and Bayley feels her blood running hot through her veins. Her eyes narrow and her lips twist into a frown.

"You would like that, wouldn't you? For me to just bow out and then you have your one-on-one match against Sasha, but you know what? I earned a shot at the title, I pinned you in the middle of the ring. That's right," Jutting her chin out with confidence. "Me, The Sesame Street Kid beat you, The Queen and you just can't stand it. Well, guess what? I'm going to do it again at Clash of Champions. I'm not the same girl you knew at NXT. I've gotten better, tougher and you'll see tomorrow."

"The only thing I'll see," Charlotte's right there, in her face, head bent just a little so they're eye to eye. "Is you crying for your Mommy when I retain my title. You're not the same?" Mocking laughter. "Well, sister, I'm not the same either. _You've gotten better_? Please. I'm still where I've _always_ been, light years a head," A poke to her chest. " _Of you_. Because you didn't take my generous offer of bowing out of the match, you'll be lucky if you can walk out of Clash of Champions. I want to break Sasha, but don't think I won't break you, too. Come on Dana," She barks, snapping her fingers. "I can't look at this joke anymore. It's hurtin my retinas."

* * *

Being called a joke hurts more than Bayley wants to admit. Her stomach churns and she can feel her eyes sting. She knows she's not the traditonal women's wrestler... Sleek and sexy, nose in the air and stomping through the halls with stilettos like Charlotte and she isn't Sasha with her nasty streak and sky high confidence, but the last thing she is, is a joke. Right? Like, she belongs here – on Monday Night RAW – just as much as they do, doesn't she? Just because she took longer...

Her thoughts start to spiral just as she hears the low rumble of Roman's familiar warm baritone, "You ready to jet? I got the Rover packed."

"Huh?" She blinks, once and twice, trying to bring herself back from the brink.

"I said you ready to jet? I packed up the Rover." The big man's brows burrow down, his lips twisting into a concerned line. "You okay, San Jose?" His grey eyes are studying her, roving over every inch of her face. "Who do I gotta lay out?" He questions, pounding his fist into his palm and squaring his shoulders for battle. "Say the word, Bayley," Suddenly gentle before his voice is nothing but a growl. "And I will Superman Punch their ass. Did Zo try to get fresh with you again?"

Roman's last question _finally_ pulls Bayley from her spiraling thoughts. "What? No... He didn't... Oh my Gosh, no! You don't have to beat anyone up! Besides, you'd get fired if you went after Charlotte and then what would I do without you? Don't tell Seth," Her arms winding around the Samoan's thick waist while she buries her face in his broad chest, breathing in his familiar scent. "But you're my favorite," A giggle as she pulls back to stare into the warm silver of his irises.

Roman hates how he melts with those big doe eyes staring up at him and that toothy grin flashing. He's glad the hallways are clear. He got enough shit when Bayley posted the selfie of them in matching headbands.

"Cool out, all right?" He groans, patting her on the back before squirming free from her embrace. "I told ya, I got a rep to protect. Nearly passing out from that Bulgarian Sasquatch's Acolade was bad enough. Don't need rumors bein' spread that I've gone soft."

"Please, the whole locker room is _still_ afraid of you. None of the girls will even talk to you... Well, besides me, but that's because I know Becky won't put me in the Dis-Arm-Er. No one would ever dare call _The Roman Reigns_ soft."

"Oh, I don't know about that..." The familiar raspy voice followed by _that_ distinctive laugh.

* * *

Bayley feels her mouth suddenly grow dry, her tongue sticking to the roof. Sweat glistens across his strong shoulders. Little drops clinging to his tan skin, sliding between each groove of his abs. His pants are slung low on his hips, almost dangerously so, revealing nearly every inch of his toned obliques.

A soft sigh escapes, again, unable to be held back.

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is, boy?" There's Roman's growl from behind her and the heavy thud of his boots as he advances toward Seth.

" **Boy**?" Seth repeats the three letters slowly. "Who are you calling **boy** , Reigns?" Gracefully he moves his lithe frame from the wall he was leaning against and advances as well.

"Guys..." Bayley steps up, blocking any further advancement. "Please, don't." Her bottom lip starts to tremble, her eyes begging silently as they grow wide, darting between both men.

She knows they'll never be as close as they were, but she can't help but want... Shaking her head, she takes in a heavy breath and lets it out, hoping she can prevent any bloodshed. "Don't do this. You have matches, _championship_ ," She emphasizes. "Matches in two days. You can't afford to be at anything but your best."

It's not a surprise when Roman backs away first. Well, physically anyway. "Don't think for a second, that I'm turnin' my back on the Universal Title. You better have eyes in the back of your head, Rollins. I want you to know, if you walk out of Indy as Champ, I'm comin' for you. Don't forget your Daddy screwed me out of my title shot, too."

Seth folds his arms over his chest, lazily, feigning bordem. "Am I supposed to be shaking in my boots? C'mon, _Big Dog_ ," His distinctive laugh echos in the hallway. "We both know I won't be running scared. Your bark's worse than your bite. Why don't you worry about not passing out from that big ugly Russian's Acolade, huh?"

"Your jaw won't be thinkin' my bark's worse than my bite when I land a Superman Punch on it, and then it's one, two, three and the ref's raising my hand while you're laid out in the ring. Speakin' of worrying, you got your hands full, too, little brother. Owens ain't no easy get, but you should know... _Tyler Black_ ," Referencing Seth's independent wrestling moniker. "Shouldn't you?"

"You're right I should know _and_ I do know..." And they're back to being in each other's faces, Bayley suddenly sandwiched between them. "Guys," She croaks, their combined weight too much for her slender frame. "Please..."

 _"Look what you did!"_ Seth yells, pulling the brunette toward him. _"What I did?"_ Roman scoffs, shaking his head. "You started this whole thing with that smart mouth of yours. You better stop runnin' it cause Bayley ain't gonna be in the ring to stop me from shutting it up."

"Stop..." Bayley pleads before Seth can fire off another remark. "You're both so important to me. Can you just try not to kill each other, especially before your matches on Sunday?"

"As long as he shuts his trap..." Roman comments warily just as Seth says, "As long as he stays out of my business..."

Deciding to put an end to the confrontation, Bayley slips her wrist out of Seth's grasp and hugs Roman, tightly, around his thick waist. The big man melts instantly. JoJo is the only other person who hugs him this way, arms around his waist, face buried in his chest. He's the baby of his family and while he acts like the protector in regards to his older sisters, Bayley is like the little sister he always wanted. He drops a kiss agains her familiar strawberry scented hair and pulls back with a sigh.

He gives her a warm smile, large hand cupping her soft cheek. "You sure can pick 'em," He chuckles, shaking his head as he winks, making her giggle and any anger evaporates from his veins.

Her lips spread into that irresisitble smile. "I'm not asking you guys to be best friends again," Rocking back and forth on her heels. "I know that's not going to happen. I'm just, you know," A shrug of slim shoulders. "Asking you not to wreck his face." A swoon as her eyelashes flutter. " _It's so pretty_."

"I dunno if I'd call it pretty... Pretty punchable," A hearty chuckle, rumbling from the Samoan's expansive chest. "Maybe."

"That's not funny. Anyway, good luck on Sunday. When you win, I know just the bows to break out for our selfie."

"We talked about this. No more selfies."

"But I promised JoJo..."

"I told you; one time only. I ain't wearin' a headband with a bow on it again. So I'll take your bags out of the Rover and..."

"I'm in the silver Lexus," Seth supplies, bringing Bayley back into his arms. "About three spots away from your Rover."

"Hopefully Sami hasn't left yet. If he has, I won't go easy on you the next time you want to get ring work in, San Jose. You know I hate ridin' by myself."

Bayley twists in Seth's arms, so they're face to face, once Roman's shadow disappears down the hallway. "You can't at least try to be nice," She sighs, peering through lengthy lashes.

A wry grin curls at his full lips. "Haven't I told you before?" A low murmur, his head bent so their lips are centimeters apart. "I'm not a nice guy."

A shiver unfurls along her spine. Whenever they're close, it's _always_ too much for her to take.

* * *

Seth doesn't know how this happened... How he got so caught up in Bayley Martinez of all people. She was contrary to every woman that stepped out onto the stage since his time in developmental. Her gear did little to show off her amazing body. Her smooth chocolate locks always fastened into her signature side pony. She was anything but his type... Soft where he was hard, warm where he was cold, easy where he was difficult and so on and so on.

He didn't think he'd be sharing his bed with anyone for longer than a night in a long time. He gave up on the idea of a relationship. He wasn't made for that, he decided after everything had failed so spectacularly with Leighla and then crashed and burned with Zahara.

Then she showed up... Blindsided him completely and before he knew it, he was caught up in strawberry scented locks, smooth tan skin and doe eyes.

Their lips fused together immediately after they had stepped out of the Lexus once they arrived at the hotel. They only broke apart long enough to make the short walk to the elevator. Their hands groped as their tongues tangled. It was like they hadn't seen each other in months. It was like when they would come together while she was still down with NXT and he was with the main roster.

Everything – even things he's done before – is new with her. Every time he's testing her boundaries, discovering what she's open to, her likes and dislikes. He loves finding new ways to bend her to his every whim, to make her shudder, to have her pussy dripping.

The strap of her yellow bra [ **god** , **he loves her in yellow, how it brings out the tan of her skin, the brown of her eyes** ] is exposed and when they break apart for air [ **a necessity, damn it** ], he toys with the strap. He hears her let out a shaky breath, the caramel around her irises growing dark as she peers from behind hooded eyes. He can see her nipples straining against her bra through her tank top. He loves how responsive she is, how she comes alive from the simple things... His fingers toying with her bra straps, his breath on her neck, their lips touching sweetly.

"I'm gonna take this off," He pulls on her bra strap and the elastic slaps against her skin, earning him a heady moan. "But your tank is gonna stay on. So are your leggings."

"Oh...Okay..." Her confusion is adorable, brows furrowed as she slips her hands underneath her tank top to unsap her bra. There's a bit of fumbling and a pretty pink colors her cheeks, he loves that flush and it's about to spread along her every inch, which makes his length throb in his jeans. She tosses her bra at him, giggling, as she murmurs, " _Ta-da_ ," and he laughs, regretting not peeling the lace from her body himself.

The regret is brief, however. He can see the dusky shadow of her nipples between the fabric of her tank top. He closes the space between them in an instant, one hand cupping the back of her head and the other molding to her right breast, finding her semi-hard nipple. He pinches the bud, swallowing her moan before he covers the globe with his hand and squeezes. He groans in her mouth; it feels so good to feel her breasts again, as if it's been weeks, instead of just hours. But whenever he's not touching her, in those rare moments of honesty, it always feels like weeks.

 _i was scared of dentists and the dark i was scared of pretty girls and conversations_

 _oh, all my friends are turning green_

 _you're the magician's assistant in their dreams_

" _riptide" - by vance joy (sung by taylor swift)_

"I missed you," He can't stop himself from mumbling the sentiment against her lips. It doesn't make sense, he saw her hours ago, but... She giggles softly, breaking him of his spiraling thoughts. "I thought that was my thing," The pink flush spreading along the swan like slope of her neck. "Missing you even though it's only been hours."

"Oh, yeah?" He slips easily into his cocky facade once more and she confirms, "I always miss you. It's nice to know you miss me, too."

There's a shiver that goes down his spine from knowing she misses him. It's been a long time since anyone's felt that way about him. But _it's so much more_ because it's _her_. He switches to her other breast and she groans, pulling them back into the moment as he nudges her toward the bed. His hands slide down her back to her ass, squeezing hard until she squirms. A little pain hightens her pleasure, he never would have suspected but a succinct tap or a brief squeeze has her dripping more, just like 'good girl.' He loves it.

He places a knee between her legs as she sinks back onto the sheets, her arms locking around his neck, pulling him down with her. He pushes her head back, fist in her hair as he scratches his chin over her neck and she's wriggling at the sensation. He smirks at the beard burn left behind, easing the red marks with his lips and tongue, kissing away his mark but only for a second. His teeth sink in next, biting and marking, making sure it's clear who she belongs to.

He once spent a whole afternoon marking her thighs, ass, hips and stomach with his teeth. Then when they were at dinner, to his pleasant surprise, she let her flowing skirt ride up just so; enough that a purple bruise he left behind was taunting him for the rest of the night.

Seth loves how hot Bayley's skin is. She always gets so heated in this moments, when they're making out and rutting against each other like teenagers or when they're in a moment like this; the build up to making love and the act itself. Her skin is always on fire when they come together. How she sticks to him after, is something he'll never get enough of. Just like the sheen of sweat covering her tan skin, little droplets glistening like diamonds.

As he licks his way down her chest, an idea strikes within his always active mind. He pulls back with a slow blooming smirk. "Is that full," He asks, jerking his head in the direction of the ice bucket by the hotel room's mini bar.

"I guess..." Again, brows furrow down, adorably confused but she doesn't stop him as he moves toward the bucket, arm reaching out and bringing it to the beside table instead. Flipping open the lid, he picks out the biggest ice cube he can find, raising it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers as they grow wide and then he's back to kneeling on the bed before crawling over her, once more.

 _oh, oh, and they come unstuck_

Bayley bites her bottom lip as Seth lowers the ice cube to her covered breast, circling the hard nipple and wetting the material so it sticks to her skin. The white material becomes transparent in the process. Her brain swims, it's like she's under water, she's never felt anything like this before.

"Sh-it..." She feels her cheeks become hotter, she doesn't like cursing but she can't help it. There are no other words.

With his free hand, Seth's already pushing her tank top up her body, revealing her other breast. He lowers his mouth to it first, grazing the hard peak with his teeth before he shifts back, watching her face contort with a hiss as the ice cube glides over her heart skin. She feels her thighs shake and her pussy throb, her juices leaking from the look of pure fascination on his handsome face as the ice melts away, leaving her skin wet. He circles her exposed nipple, inching closer and closer each time until.

" _Seth_..." A purely heady moan.

He lowers his head back down, lapping at the cool water, warming her skin once again as she softly coos above him. He feasts on her breast, he slides the remainder of the ice cube up to her throat, cooling the marks on her neck until the ice disappears and his fingers only find droplets of water.

He pushes her tank top over her head, his lips dipping to capture hers only briefly before shifting back to his knees to finish the job she started earlier. His fingers find the waistband of her leggings and he pulls, peeling the spandex away from her skin and tossing them behind him. Her panties – yellow, as well, so beautiful against her skin – go next, he can't resist from snapping the waistband against her skin and then she's undressing him. His clothes ending up on the floor in a mix with hers.

He gropes around the ice bucket once more as he kisses her stomach. This time he doesn't place the ice between his lips, he earns a yelp and a soft smack to his shoulder as he circles her breast once again.

He licks away the trail of moisture as he slides it down between her breasts toward her stomach, dipping inside her belly button and making her squirm. He props himself on his side, eyes flickering between her face and his hand as he reaches her pelvis. Her bottom lip disappears between her teeth as her back arches slightly as he moves his hand over her mound, wetting the small triangle of hair with the slowly melting ice.

 _lady, running down to the riptide_

 _taken away to the dark side_

 _i wanna be your left hand man_

 _i love you when you're singing that song and_

 _i got a lump in my throat cause_

 _you're gonna sing the words wrong_

"Seth... Fuck," She moans her head tossing from side to side as he dips his hand lower, the ice gracing her clit and then down to her slit.

"So fucking hot..." He murmurs into her mouth, feeling the ice melting even more as it touches her pussy. He can't believe this is happening, but he should know better by now. She'll try anything with him, at least once, and he can't stop the praise from escaping his lips, " _Good girl_ ," as he moves up, his eyes well and truly focused on her lower half, his free hand nudging her thighs wider as he exhales and whistle at the sight before him.

"You're gorgeous," A heavy groan, drowning in lust. "Do you know that? How gorgeous you look right now?"

"Tell me..." The two words dropping from her lips like a heavy stone. His eyes flicker back to her face, watching her curl a loose strand of hair around her finger and her other hand... She's, fuck, touching her breast... Her fingers pinching her nipple, rolling the dusky bud between her thumb and forefinger.

A swell of pride rushes through Seth's body from the sight. He did _that_... Emboldened her, broke through her boundaries, freed a side of her she didn't know was there. It's a heady thought knowing he has that kind of power over her, over someone as sweet as Bayley as his... _good girl_.

His lips curl into a devastating smirk as he surveys the scene before him. "Is _this_ what you would do when you were on the phone with me?" A preadatory gleam in his eye, a lion going in for the kill on the wounded gazelle in its sights. "Back when you were down at NXT? Did you touch yourself just like you are right now? Play with your perfect breasts? Pinch those dusky nipples, turn them into peaks as hard as diamonds, aching for my mouth and fingers?"

Her eyes are heavy, shielded by her thick lashes and lids... The milk chocolate has now melted dark, lust coloring her irises. "Uh-uh," A heady moan. No hint of embarrassment where months ago there would have been. "Except... Um... My other hand..."

"Tell me where your other hand is. Be my good girl and tell me, Bayley."

"It's usually where yours is..."

"Like this?" The ice is almost gone but he won't let this opportunity go to waist. Gripping the last sliver between his fingers, he pushes slowly inside of her, watching her hips rise up to greet them. "Seth," She sputters. "That feels..."

Her words are lost in a soft whimper as he flicks his thumb over her clit. "You would do that too, huh?" He whispers, taunting edge in his dark tone. "You would fuck yourself with your fingers, play with your clit at the same time? You would be a bad girl, is that what you're trying to tell me?"

Her eyes go wide and her bottom lip trembles. "N-no, no...I wasn't you, you would always say... You said..."

It's too much... How almost fearful she looks, her eyes wide and her lip sucked between her teeth, body tense as if expecting punishment. That's something they haven't explored and now isn't the time. But with that soft face looking at him that way, like she's done something wrong, like she's made him angry when he's anything but, he can't take it. Her looking at him like he's the man who took the steel chairs to his former brothers is the only reason, in those rare moments of honesty, he hasn't eliminated Roman as a threat once and for all. Much to his chagrin, she and the big man have latched onto each other, forming this strange alliance of sorts... Her bouncy nature seeming as if it would repel his stoicness but the opposite happened. He can't think about that now, how it irks him that they're close, how the other man has found a place in her heart just as he has.

He brings himself back to the here and now, her laid out underneath him, so beautiful and that look in her eyes, worried and he soothes her. "How can you be bad if you're doing what I tell you to? So you would fuck yourself with your fingers, huh?"

Her body relaxes, the anxiousness disappearing from her eyes and she nods, hand leaving her hair to touch her other breast and squeezing. "That's it... That's my good girl. Play with your tits."

He reaches, one last time, into the bucket of ice and he makes damn sure to warm the ice with his mouth as he moves around the bed, nudging her legs wider as he settles between them. Holding the ice between his lips, he lowers his head between her thighs and brush the cool tip around her clit.

"Oh! Oh! Fuck!"

 _there's this movie that i think you'll like_

 _this guy decides to quit his job and move to new york city_

 _this cowboy's running from himself_

 _and she's been living on the highest shelf_

Her thighs immediately tighten around his head and he has to wrap his arms underneath them to hold them steady and apart. He circles her clit again. And then again, inching closer and closer until the cool water mixes with the rest of her sweet juices.

"Seth... Oh..." Her voice is a whine, a plea and he's more than happy to give her what she wants. His cold lips close around her clit and her moan vibrates through her entire body. A hand finds its way to his head, fingers digging in hard as his lips suck on her clit, tickling the bundle of nerves with his tongue as his fingers continue to slide in and out of her. She's drenching them with every move, the sound of her slickness filling his ears, along with her breathy little moans. Her pussy grips them tighter with every stroke and his dick his rock hard at the thought of sinking into her. But first...

"I'm close... Seth... Close, I'm so... Please..."

"Cum then," Seth groans into her thigh as he slips his fingers from her and wraps his arms around her legs again, hitching them higher onhis shoulders and pressing her lower body deeper into the bed. He licks from the bottom of her slit to the top, twirling over clit as she grips and groans, pleading for him to stop teasing.

He sucks on her clit again, drawing a howl from the back of her throat and her hand tightens in his hair. Take it, he sliently pleads. Wanna hear you scream, good girl... He wants to hear that scream that makes his dick twitch. That scream that makes him want to keep eating her out until she's fucking horse. His hand on her leg slips to hers, gripping her wrist as he focuses all his attention on her clit, sucking and nibbling until her heels dig into his back and his name is ripping through the air.

 _oh, oh and they come unstuck_

Seth takes another swipe at Bayley's wet pussy before slipping her legs from his shoulders. She twitches beneath him, her breasts red from her pinching, her bottom lip deliciously swollen while her hair sticks to her forehead.

How beautiful she looks stuns him... Everything about her says _his_. Only he has ever seen her this way... Thoroughly satisfied from how he ate her out, that pretty pink flush coloring every inch of her skin. There's that sheen of sweat, her tan skin glistening like diamonds in the glow of the street lights streaming into their hotel room.

It's almost too much for him to take. Another in a long line of reminders that she's too pure and too good for him. That he'll only taint her and leave her in ruins. Taking a once shimmering thing and turning it to rust.

"Hey..." Gentle and warm, her shaking fingers – nails painted bright yellow – touching at his beard covered cheek. "Come back," A bright giggle, soft smile playing at her ripe strawberry lips. "There's still..." A lusty edge, sending him back into their moment. "Plenty for us to do."

"Is there?" A low chuckle vibrating through his toned chest as he fists his dick, looking around the bedside table for protection. "You know there is." A knowing tone and he loves this side he's pulled out of her, confident and bright, no longer afraid of wanting, lusting, needing.

"Don't..." She senses what he's looking for and he swallows, still amazed at how she can sense his moves before he makes them. "It's fine..." Seth shakes his head. "Bayley..."

"I said it's fine. I trust you." And the words are literally shining in her pupils. trust and you. That's too much for him to take. She can't trust him. The lashes and bruises may have faded from Roman and Dean's skin, but they're still there on their hearts. Still as obvious as the night he gave Roman chair shot after chair shot, sending him falling into the ropes and Dean a vicious curb stomp combined with the beating from the chair and how he had left Roman's limp body for Randy to feed on.

"You don't know what you're saying..." It's not about protection any more, he senses she realizes as much when her face softens, eyes turning warm and shimmering with something [love] that shouldn't be there.

"I know exactly what I'm saying. I trust you, Seth. In every way possible. Make love to me. I want to feel you. Please, let me."

 _lady, running down to the riptide_

 _taken away to the dark side_

 _i wanna be your left hand man_

 _i love you when you're singing that song and_

 _i got a lump in my throat_

 _cause you're gonna sing the words wrong_

He couldn't turn her down, he doubts even the strongest man could... Not when she looks like this – so beautiful, splayed out and offering herself, like some kind of sacrifice – and when she's looking at him like _that_ , like he's worthy of a heart like hers.

His heart pounds, hard and fast, as he climbs back onto the bed and eases her onto her stomach. She goes to raise her hips, but he grips them roughly and lowers them back down as he nudges her legs apart, pressing his thighs against hers. His dick slips against her entrance, so he reaches down and grips it firmly to guide himself inside her.

Home, his mind can't help but whisper. That's what this feels like every time they come together, her pussy gripping him so tight, home.

Her moan is muffled by the sheets as he sinks all the way in with a hiss. Fuck, she feels good. He gropes her ass, hard, spreading her cheeks to watch his dick pull back out and then back in again.

"Shit, Bayley..."

"D-do you..." A brief stutter and then she's bold, revealing that side only he knows. "Like what you see?" Confident as she twist her head back to face him. "It feels so good, Seth...So good..." Her back starts to arch, but he quickly moves his hands to push her back down.

He lowers his body to hers, propping his forearms on either side of her head. She nuzzles his right arm as he slowly thrusts in and out, so he moves it under her, his body wrapping around her as he presses his face into her shoulder and hair.

He breathes in her strawberry scented locks. Like he's going to forget what the smooth brown waves smell like. Never. But the scent is only hightened by her sweat and arousal. It's beautiful.

"How's that feel, good girl? Still good?"

"Fuck... Yes, yes..."

He grips her tighter, loving the feeling of being on top of her like this, having her wrapped in his arms as he pounds harder into her for a few seconds and then he switches the pace, going deliberately slow. Her ass shakes against his hips as he does so, alternating between hard and fasts thrusts and slow, measured strokes as she mewls into his arms.

"Don't, don't... Please... Stop... The teasing," Just babbling as he slows once again. It's not fair, she thinks, she needs, wants more, more more.

"You're my good girl, aren't you?" Growled into her neck. He can feel everything; every grip of her pussy, every drop of her juices coating his length. Fuck... "You're all mine, Bayley. Every inch of you. And I'm gonna take you however I want tonight. You'll take it like my good girl, won't you? Cause that's what you are, isn't it? My good girl?"

"Yes... I'm always yours, Seth... Your good girl." She moans, his heart doing a mini flip.

"Always..." He growls as he fucks her harder, skin slapping against skin.

"Always..." She confirms with a hiss.

 _i just wanna, i just wanna know_

 _if you're gonna stay, if you're gonna stay_

 _i just gotta know, i just gotta know_

 _i can't have it, i can't have it any other way_

 _i swear she's destined for the screen_

 _the closest thing to michelle pfeiffer that i've ever seen_

Everything's a blurr after that... He asks if he can cum on her, she says cum on me, in me she doesn't care, she just wants to feel everything he has to offer, desperate and wanting, hanging on an edge, needing him to do something, anything.

They explode at the same time; hearts pounding in tandem as he empties himself inside of her, no barrier of latex between them. It's more than they could have imagined. He tries to move away as they come down from their high, but she won't let him.

"Stay..."

He nuzzles her head, making her turn to face him. Her lips are soft, inviting as he kisses her, tenderly. "Not going anywhere, but I'm gonna crush you if I don't at least move off you."

She smiles lazily as he shifts away and wipes off his dick on the rumpled sheets. When she doesn't even attempt to move herself, he runs his hand down her back, commiting the familiar curve of her spine to memory.

"You okay?" It was more intense than he planned, going further than he thought he would. Then he thought she would. He doesn't want too push her too hard, too fast.

"Of course I'm okay..." As if he asked if the sky was blue. He laughs and shakes his head, fingers threading through her smooth shoulder length locks. "I'm always okay with you. More..." An embarrassed giggle, peering shyly through thick lashes. "Than okay, actually."

"That's my good girl." He can't resist as he wraps himself around her once more, tucking her into the crook of his arm.

 _lady, running down to the riptide_

 _taken away to the dark side_

 _i wanna be your left hand man_

 _i love when you're singing that song and_

 _i got a lump in my throat cause_

 _you're gonna sing the words wrong_

" _riptide" - by vance joy (sung by taylor swift)_

* * *

[during the clash]

Everything is _more_... As the familiar beat of her theme blasts through Bankers Life Fieldhouse's speakers, it's like everything is turned up to eleven. Battleground had been a taste, a tease... Teaming with Sasha at The Verizon Center, but this – here and now – was everything she had dreamed of as a little girl coming true.

Her hands were shaking and she was sure she would trip up taking off her cape, that she would forget to hand out the snap bracelets to the people in the front, that she would forget to give her headband away at the end of the match, get tangled in her streamers. Her stomach churned violently and her heart felt like a runaway train.

Maybe Charlotte was right... Maybe she was too small for the moment and she was going to fail tonight, like she did in Dallas when she wasn't prepared for Auska's viciousness and she let... No, no she shook her head, determined not to let the Champion's words get to her. She was going to give her all, win or lose, no one was going to say the moment got to her. She was not the wide eyed happy to be here girl that she was in NXT. She was different; experienced, tougher, smarter and she was ready.

The match broke down from the outset; Sasha pushing her out of the way to go after Charlotte. Bayley knew she and Sasha weren't the best friends that had teamed at Battleground, that their relationship had shifted since Bayley's call up to the main roster and Sasha's return after being injured at Summerslam, but she didn't expect this... to be pushed aside, as if she wasn't apart of the match at all, like she was no threat.

Anger flared in her veins and when the violet-haired woman tried to get past her to go at Charlotte, Bayley pushed her right back.

"I'm in this match too!" She yelled, giving the smaller woman another shove. "You don't get to just toss me aside like I'm not standing in this ring!"

A hip check from 'The Boss' and she was down, a groan leaving her chest, as her back hit the canvas.

She had her chances, especially after Charlotte had thrown Sasha from the ring, but ultimately couldn't capitalize. There was a sickening feeling creeping up her spine as the ref's fist hit the canvas... one, two, three and then the hollow ringing of the bell, signaling the match's end.

Charlotte was still Champion.

"I'm not the best..." There was Seth's familiar raspy tone, in her ear as soon as she stepped through the curtain. "I don't want a pep talk," Barely a whisper as she wrapped her arms around his toned waist, face buried in his defined chest, breathing in his familiar scent.

"You were great. Did better than me in my first Paper-View. You didn't fall off a thirty foot ladder, get a concussion and almost die."

"That's not funny. I remember watching TLC that night. I was so scared... Thinking medics were going to have to come and get you, your eyes were all glazed over..." A slap to his chest when she pulls away. "You better not scare me like that tonight."

"I'm gonna do whatever it takes tonight to win. I'm gonna make sure Hunter knows he bet on the wrong horse this time."

"Seth..." Bayley bit down on her bottom lip, doe eyes filling with worry as they searched the Iowan's determined dark chocolate. "I know you want to prove to Hunter that he made a mistake by giving Kevin the title, I get that, you know I do but... You can't let that cloud your judgement. You're not facing Hunter, you're facing Kevin. You have to be focused on him. If you're not..." Her lip wobbled and her eyes went downcast for a moment. "Kevin is dangerous. You saw what he did to Sami and he didn't even have a previous injury to target. Kevin won't hesitate to go after your knee..."

"Let him. I don't give a damn about my knee. The Universal Title belongs to me." His strong jaw was set and ticking as his teeth ground.

"Please," Practically begging. "Be careful. The last thing I want is to see you not leaving the ring under your own power, to see you hurt again like you were in Ireland. You worked so hard to get back in record time..."

"And all that hard work is about to pay off. I'm more focused than I've ever been. I know Hunter isn't in the ring, I know Kevin is and I know how to beat him. I did it in a high school gym in front of less than a hundred people, then in a bingo hall with less than two hundred and tonight, I'll do it again in front of 20,000 plus."

"If you keep up that pacin' you're gonna make me get motion sickness like JoJo," Roman – newly crowned United States Champion – tried to joke as Bayley moved back and forth in his locker room, probably wearing a hole through the carpet, in the process.

"I just... I'm _so_ nervous, Roman. Like," The brunette's eyes go wide. "More nervous than I was for my own match. Kevin... is _dangerous_ ," Emphasis on the word. "He'll injure Seth if that's what it takes to keep his title and he won't care that he did it. I saw Sami get Pop Up Powerbombed on the ring apron after he won the NXT Championship..." A tear slides down her cheek as her lithe frame shakes. "It was horrible. The scream he let out... His shoulder cracking and popping... And there was Kevin, holding up the title, emotionless... Like it didn't matter, like he didn't know what he did. Seth's knee, it's still..."

"Whoa, whoa... Slow down..."

Roman can handle anything but a crying woman... His heart twists as Bayley's doe eyes fill with tears from the prospect of Seth getting hurt. He folds the lithe figure of the brunette into his thick arms, brushing a kiss over the crown of her dark hair.

She lets out a pitiful whimper, pulling away to swipe at her eyes. "He just came back..." A broken whisper. "If he got hurt again, his knee might not ever be the same, he might not wrestle again."

A gentle brush of his knuckles along the soft slope of her cheek. "You're getting ahead of yourself, way ahead of yourself, San Jose. I'll deny it if you say I said it," A quick quirk of plush lips. "But Seth can handle himself out there. He's smart... It's like he's playing chess and you're playing checkers, even for me and Dean, it's like that. He won't let Kevin get the jump on him. He'll be careful. I know he doesn't want to get hurt again, but he ain't gonna give anything less than his all."

"I don't know if I can see him get hurt again... You didn't see him in the trainer's room in Dublin. He was so... Broken and angry."

"He'll be all right and hey," Titlting her chin as a full smile blooms across his lips this time. "I got a hand for you to squeeze. If Galina couldn't break my hand while she was goin' through labor with JoJo, you won't do much damage."

The match, which started off slow, picked up to a fever pitch. After the botched Gut Buster, Roman had to practically tackle the brunette to the floor of his locker room. She had leapt from her position on the couch, ready to tear through the Gorilla Area and rush into the ring.

Seth hadn't really been the same since and now Kevin was going after his knee.

"He's holding his ribs... Every time he moves, he holds them," Bayley murmured, nibbling on her bottom lip. "They could be bruised, maybe even broken... He looks like he can't breathe. Roman..."

"He's tough, as much as I hate to admit it,"Roman sighed, hating how distressed Bayley was. "He'll find a way to power through. Besides... He's kind of..." They didn't really talk about the ins and outs of the business when they were together, in fact they talked about anything but. "Going face now, isn't he? Y'know after what happened in Kansas City with Hunter turning his back on him and everything, so he could be hyping up the crowd and selling his injury like a good babyface would."

"Oh my God!" Bayley yelped, as Kevin sent Seth over the top rope, causing him to land hard on his knee outside of the ring. Immediately, his hands went to the surgically repaired appendage, a look of anguish on his handsome face as he hissed and struggled to get back on his feet.

"I hope he's okay?! Oh, no!" Through the television they could hear Kevin's sarcastic concern.

And after getting Seth back in the ring, Kevin continued targeting his knee.

In the end, it was a chaotic finish with Kevin's best friend, Jericho interfering about halfway through. The original ref had been knocked down when Kevin tried to do his signature Pop Up Powerbom and Stephanie seemed to take a long time in sending out a replacement official. The time between Seth's pedigree and cover, dragged for what felt like hours, and just as the replacement official stepped between the ropes, Kevin made his move.

One Pop Up Powerbomb later, Seth was flat on his back and Kevin's hand was raised. Then Kevin and Jericho were retreating up the ramp, Chris crowing loudly, "WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS MY FRIENDS. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS MY FRIENDS. NO TIME FOR LOSERS CAUSE WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS."

It was hard... Watching as Seth struggled to his feet amongst the standing ovation from the crowd. Bayley's heart was lodged in her throat. Her hands shook as she sprinted out of Roman's locker room and to the Gorilla Area just as he pushed his way through the curtain.

Already she could see blue tinting his tan skin, Kevin's handiwork coming to the surface. Her stomach churned from the sight. How much actual damage had been done she didn't know, but she'd been wrestling long enough to know ice packs and heating pads weren't going to do the trick tonight. His breathing was labored, each breath heavy and shaky with every inhale and exhale.

"Hey..." Gentle as ever, pushing her fingers through his sweaty hair.

"I don't..." She doesn't let him finish, just puts two fingers to his lips and shakes her head. "I got you."

* * *

[post clash]

It's all over social media... The moments after the championship match... How Stephanie was in the parking garage as a limo pulled up, Hunter stepping out and her greeting him with a kiss. Bayley didn't know what it meant... Stephanie had said she didn't know Hunter was going to double cross Seth, that she was as surprised, she had begged Mick to believe her and he said he did... But Bayley wasn't sure after this moment was brought to the light of day.

A heavy sigh escaped her pursed lips as she put down her phone. She was in the hospital's waiting room while Seth was having an MRI done on his ribs. She feared the worst, but never said so. He barely slept last night, every position he tried more uncomfortable then the last.

When he emerged from the x-ray room, his face said it all and her heart broke, literally feeling as if it was made of shattered glass and with every step he took to get closer to her, it felt like she was being poked by the jagged edges.

"They won't clear me. My ribs are bruised. They taped 'em up, gave me painkillers. Fuck!" An angry roar that had her shrinking. "I'm sorry..." Defeated with an underlying groan as he reaches for her. "I just... This... What if Kevin was right? What if after I failed to keep the WWE Championship on RAW at Battleground and then couldn't beat Finn at Summerslam, Hunter said enough was enough? What if it is..." A hand scrubbing over his face, shoulders slumping. "Redsign, Rebuild..." His throat bobbing. "Replaced?" Uttered with disgust.

"Don't say that. I can't say what was going through Hunter's mind... He's," Bitter laughter. "Obviously not the man I thought he was, that much I can say. But bruised ribs doesn't mean it's over. You still have your rematch, it's built into your contract. He can't take that away from you."

"It wouldn't surprise me if he tried. Let's get outta here."

Seth knew Bayley would kill him if she found out he had snuck into the arena. After she left the hotel with Roman, he called an Uber and was now pulling up. She wanted him to rest and lay low, to take care of himself, but fuck that. He had been screwed out of the Universal Title again and Stephanie could put on an act for Mick all she wanted, but she had taken her damn sweet time to get that second official to the ring.

He didn't believe any syllable that came out of her mouth. And he had this feeling... Deep in his bones that Hunter was lurking around somewhere. Cause he was supposed to believe he wasn't watching his handiwork, up close? The man was right outside of the ring, smiling like a proud father, as he took steel chairs to Dean and Roman's backs. He wasn't just going to slink back down to Orlando and NXT after what he did.

Pulling his hood over his head, he cringed as he climbed out of the car, his ribs contracting painfully with the movement.

Walking into the hallway, he made sure to be in full view of the camera that was set up in the backstage area, he was going to let everyone know – despite not being medically cleared – that he was here.

No sooner had he slipped the hood away from his head, Mick was right there to meet him as he stalked through the hallway. "Seth..." The hardcore legend's tone was genlte, sympathetic. "How you feeling?"

"I'll be fine soon enough, Mick," Bit out through gritted teeth. "But let me tell you, there is nothing that's going to stop me from going out there during this Highlight Reel, okay?"

"Seth..." Mick tried to plead but Seth cut him off, "Kevin Owens is owed something by me."

"I know, I know he is but now is not the time and the place. You're not medically cleared..." Mick could feel the rage rushing off the young superstar, his stomach twisting. "Look... I've been there. I know what you're feeling," And he did, he really truly did but he wouldn't be able to stomach it if the kid got hurt on his watch, especially with not being medically cleared. "But now is not the time," He stressed again.

"Screw your rules, Mick." Deadly and determined. "Screw your rules. I saw Stephanie get into that limo with Triple H last night, and I saw Kevin Owens brag about what happened to me!"

"I know... I know what you're feeling! I know..." "MICK! MICK!" Seth yelled, not letting the GM get a word in edgewise. "I see your lips moving," A sigh and a sad shake of his head. "But all I hear are Stephanie's words coming out of your mouth," And with that he stalked off.

Bayley didn't have much of a match – a local competitior, seriously? - and Roman's portion of the show was done after the first hour, so she was going to go back to the hotel to be with Seth. She didn't really want to stick around to watch Sasha confront Charlotte who was going to 'address' the WWE Universe after retaining her title.

A flash of black caught her eye just as she was leaving the Gorilla. One, she would recognize anywhere. Her eyes went wide and before he could make his move toward the curtain, she stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"Seth," Worry was etched into every letter of his name. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be back at the hotel, resting! You're not medically cleared to be here!"

He didn't want to worry her, he hated how she was looking at him... Wide eyes, bottom lip trembling, but he had to do this. He couldn't let Kevin think he'd beaten him down and he wasn't going to let Stephanie think she had gotten away with lying to his face by saying she had no idea what her husband was doing. He saw her kissing him and get into the limo with him... He felt his hands curl into fists at his sides, saw red clouding his vision and then...

There were fingers threading through his hair and out of the corner of his eye, he could see her hand – shaking – and cupping his cheek. "I saw you get hurt twice, I don't want to see you get hurt again. I know you heard about Kevin's bragging, and obviously..." A put out huff. "I couldn't keep you from seeing the video of Stephanie getting into the limo with Hunter, but you could hurt yourself worse if you go out there tonight."

"Kevin needs to be put on notice." Nothing more than a growl as he bats her hand away.

"Seth! Seth! Stop it! Don't do this! Listen to me!" But her pleas fall on deaf ears. He's made up his mind.

* * *

 _i was only walking through your neighborhood_

 _saw your light on, honey; in the cold i stood_

 _anywhere i go there you are_

 _anywhere i go there you are_

" _fire and the flood" - by vance joy_

As Seth stalked down the ramp, his music playing in the background, Michael Cole was crowing in the background. "Oh, hey Kevin Owens you know what they say about kharma! Her comes Seth Rollins!"

"Rollins," Byron Saxton joined in from the commentary desk as well. "Said nothing was going to stop him from interrupting the Highlight Reel tonight!"

Then a group of security guards surrounded him, blocking his path toward the ring. Mick was there as well, keeping up with the group step for step. And the crowd was yelling, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Kevin snarled from inside the ring, microphone, in hand, "Don't listen to these people, Foley, they're," A nod in Jericho's direction. "Stupid idiots. Don't let him fight. Take him to the back where he belongs."

"C'mon Rollins!" A goad from Jericho as Seth struggles to push his way through the security guards.

"Yeah, give him a doctor's note that says," Mocking and high-pitched. "I can't wrestle because Kevin Owens broke me in half! Get him out of here! THIS IS MY TIME! Go Redisgn, Rebuild, Reclaim your couch, buddy!"

 _i been getting used to waking up with you_

 _i been getting used to waking up with you_

 _anywhere i go there you are_

 _anywhere i go there you are_

Just before Seth can turn back toward the ramp, there's Michael Cole's reedy voice, "Oh my God! Is that... It is, it's Bayley! What the heck is she doing out here?!"

His dark eyes meet her soft brown as she pushes her way through the group of security guards and their general manager. Her hands immediately cup his face as she shakes her head. "I should be mad at you, I should be yelling at you, but I can't. I know you're angry that you can't fight tonight and you want to pay Kevin back for everything that happened last night, but beating him up tonight isn't going to change what happened. You have an automatic rematch clause in your contract, you can't forget about that just to have a little taste of revenge and to feel better about yourself."

Seth sighs heavily, letting out a harsh breath through his nose. He scrubs a hand over his face before wrapping his fingers around her right wrist, pulling that hand away from his cheek. He knows Bayley is right and he hates it. All he wants is to pound Owens into the ground, to get his pound of flesh.

He still hears the Canadian's high-pitched mocking... go redsign, rebuild, reclaim your couch... take him to the back where he belongs... His blood is boiling and then, there's the soft press of bubblegum tasting lips against his.

 _you're the fire and the flood_

 _and i'll always feel you in my blood_

 _everything is fine_

 _when your head's resting next to mine_

 _next to mine_

 _you're the fire and the flood_

She pulls back just before their tongues can start to tangle. There's a bright flush on her cheeks, resembling the one from the first time they had ever kissed, and a shy whisper tumbles off her lips, "Everyone's staring... We're in, like, an arena full of people."

He can't help but laugh, it hurts his ribs, but he has to. She's adorably befuddled, like, she forgot they were standing on the ramp leading to the ring, like she had come out to stop him from doing something stupid.

He pushes – her hair's down, her signature side pony left behind, like it often is after her matches – strands of strawberry scented locks behind her ear. "If you didn't look so good in..." A low chuckle, he recognizes the plaid pattern of the shirt and how she's practically drowning in it, not the fitted look of her own plaid shirts. "My shirts, maybe I wouldn't want to French you in front of all these people. Since I can't treat them to my in ring abilities, I might as well still give 'em a show, huh?"

She shakes her head as her blush deepens. "Stop it. Um..." Turning toward Mick, she feels like she's as red as a tomato. "I think I can handle it from here. You can, like, y'know call off the dogs and stuff."

Mick eyes the brunette warily, but something in her soft brown eyes tells him she can handle the situation and he tells the security guards as much. As they walk back up the ramp, Mick hears Bayley's voice ringing out, "The only thing Seth Rollins is going to reclaim, is his spot at the top of this company!"

Seth laughs as she gives her signature two thumb's up in Kevin's direction who is all but spitting nails. She does a little shimmy and then a big wave before grabbing his hand and walking back up the ramp with him.

 _since we met i feel a lightness in my step_

 _you're miles away but i still feel you_

 _anywhere i go there you are_

 _anywhere i go there you are_

 _late at night when you can't fall asleep_

 _i'll be lying right beside you counting sheep_

 _anywhere i go there you are_

 _anywhere i go there you are_

 _there you are_

 _there you are_

* * *

"Do you know what you did out there, on the ramp?" Seth asked after he heard the water in the bathroom shut off. They had been back in their hotel room long enough to change into their pajamas.

"Yeah... I mean, I think I know what I did. I stopped you from doing something stupid and um... You know kissed you, but that's about it. Unless you're talking about yelling at Kevin. Is that what you mean?"

Sometimes Seth wondered how Bayley had gotten this far within the company. She could be so niave... He sighed, pushing his fingers through his hair as he tied it off into his signature high man bun. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his chest and dropped a kiss against the crown of her hair, breathing in its familiar strawberry scent.

He let his lips slide down from her hair to the edge of her jaw, smirking against her skin when he felt her shiver. He loved the effect he had on her, but with his bruised ribs... Fuck, he cursed mentally, but... His brain was always two steps ahead and he thought back to when she had touched herself, which even with his bruised ribs, that was always in play. His length twitched against the cotton of his pajama pants, but that would have to wait.

"That's not what I'm talking about. Well... It kind of is, but it's not. What I mean is there's no way Stephanie and by extension Hunter didn't see what you did. It's not about yelling at Kevin or even the kiss, you came out there to stop me. You showed that you support me, and they're not going to tollerate that. You may have been his little darling down at NXT, but he won't see you that way now."

"You think they'll come after me? Like, have Charlotte and Dana ambush me? Make me face Nia?"

"Not just come after you... Bayley, they'll try to break you. Look at..." He shuddered, remembering how he nearly ended Dean's career. He swore some nights he could still smell the dust from the cinder blocks. "What happened with Dean..." He felt the bitter tinge of bile in his throat, the image of her lying limp amongst rubble, Charlotte standing over her with glee.

"I'm not afraid of them, of what they're capable of. I know you think I'm this naive little girl who wants to believe the best in everyone, but I've seen things since I've been here. I saw Kevin purposefully hurt Sami after he won the NXT Championship. I was right there. I heard every pop, every crack in Sami's shoulder and I saw Kevin's face... Just blank, nothing was there," A shaky breath. "Sasha tried to hurt me in Brooklyn and then again during the Iron Woman match. So let them underestimate me and think they can break me, we both know they can't... Don't we?"

 _you're the fire and the flood_

 _and i'll always feel you in my blood_

 _everything is fine_

 _when your head's resting next to mine_

 _next to mine_

 _you're the fire and the flood_

She never ceased to surprise him. His lips curled softly as he took in the determined look in her doe eyes. He gave her lithe frame a squeeze, pulling her closer as well. The weight of her in his arms felt so good. He knew she shouldn't be here, this wasn't her fight... This was between him and his former mentor, the man who had screwed him out of everything. But he wasn't the hero she had built him up to be in her head. He was no prince riding on a white horse to save the princess.

He was... She twisted in his arms, stalling his train of thought. Then she pressed her lips to his, insistent and heady, and he had to give in. Their tongues tangled and their teeth clashed. God, her lips looked so good like this... Plump, bruised like crushed daisy petals, he traced their shape with his thumb and he could see the goosebumps rise on her arms. She was so damn responsive. Fuck...

He bent, wanting to capture her lips again, but she turned her head.

"I know what you're trying to do, I know what's going on in your head... I know you're not the traditional hero, the good guy who had something taken from him that was rightfully his. I've always known who you are, Seth," His name sounds so good coming out of her mouth. "If I didn't know, then I would be the naive little girl everyone thinks I am. Hunter hurt you when he Pedigree'd you and gave Kevin the Championship, and maybe it was because you didn't keep the WWE Champonship on RAW, but you didn't deserve that. Everyone wins and everyone loses. Even The Undertaker lost at Wrestlemania. So you get back up and you dust yourself off. I'm not afraid of what Hunter and Stephanie are capable of. I'm not going anywhere. Wherever you are, I'm going to be there and whatever you're fighting for, that's my fight, too."

"If they hurt you..." Nothing less than a growl from deep within his chest.

"I won't stay down. I'll get back up, with a smile on my face, give my two thumb's up and come back for more. I... I..." Shaky as her lips tremble. "I love you," Nothing more than a confession, a benediction, so honest and real, he doesn't know what he did to deserve it. "And I'm not letting you take on Hunter and Stephanie alone."

"Y-you love me?" Barely above a whisper.

"Yeah..." Murmured as she peers through thick lashes, a pretty rose coloring her cheeks. "I've wanted to say it, but it never would come out... Like, not until now I guess. It's, like, I needed you to know. I love you..." Her bright grin, slowly, curling at her pink lips.

 _now listen here she said_

 _boy when you know you'll know_

 _and i know_

"You don't have to say it back..." A brief giggle and he shakes his head. The words are there, on the tip of his tongue, they've been there longer than he'd like to admit because how could he not love her? She accepts the worst parts of him... The selfish parts, the demanding parts, the angry parts... The parts he thought no one could, but he... A deep breath leaves on an exhale and those eyes... Bottomless and sparkling, the soft brown mixing with warm caramel around her irises, the softness of her face – not traditionally pretty – but something better and the scent of warm berries and vanilla, he has to say it back right now, doesn't he?

Because this is the moment... He's sure and more honest than he's been in a long damn time, "I love you," and there's a flash of wonder across her face, like she can't believe it and then she's on her tip toes, murmuring, "This is pretty schweet y'know, like, wow."

And he shakes his head. "God," A groan as he mimicks the loser game show sound 'wah-wah' "I forgot what a dork you are. Jeez, Martinez, schweet, really?"

Bright and bubbly giggling his is reward and it goes straight to his heart, the sound always making him feel more alive than even being in the ring does.

And when she kisses him, he feels like he can take on the world, that he'll make his promise to Stephanie about buring the 'new era' to the ground come true.

 _/you're the fire and the flood_

 _and i'll always feel you in my blood_

 _everything is fine_

 _when your head's resting next to mine_

 _next to mine_

 _you're the fire and the flood_

" _you're the fire and the flood" - by vance joy_

 **soundtrack: "riptide" originally by vance joy, but as sung by taylor swift and "you're the fire and the flood" by vance joy**

 **a/n: the dialogue between mick and seth was directly taken from this week's raw and does not belong to me. and again, don't favorite without reviewing.**


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